Incinerating apparatus



INCINERAT ING APPARATUS INVENTOR. CHARLES WM/c'Ho/ S- BY' MIQMfPM ATTORNE YS Patented Feb; 18, 1941,

UNITED STATE y IKNCIYNERATING Arranatrus I 1 `Charles WrNichois, West'Orange, Nl J., assignor to` Nichols Engineering &\Research Corpora- Y., a corporation of Delaware The appa `atus of this invention isparticularly `adaptableior `use in relatively smallwastedisposal plants, for the` rapid drying and `thorough `burningfcf waste material` of `highly-irregular characteristics with substantially a minimum: of expense' and` labor. Heretofore with relatively small installations for the` burningl 1oi garbage and trash, etc., it has been `generally customaryv `to provide a grate* in a simple furnace'chamber,

the waste material being dumped onto the grate and thereafter stoked by manual labor -to the extent necessary `to i distributeY the material over i the grate and to allow access of air to various o parts thereof from time to'time. Suchfconstrucf.` tionshave not only involved a considerable labor expense for frequent `or continuous attention-by one ormore Workmen, but the resulting "drying and burningaction on thegrateis4 too irregularv for uniform andthorough `combustion: -As a result,` considerable smoldering occurs with con-v. sequent obnoxious odors,` and the :resulting ash is sometimes mixed withy considerable :unburned i `mai'.eria'1.%.` l

i. Efforts to "avoid these diiiiculties have gen.-

. eral involved equipmentwhichA is too expensive tol construct and maintain in dependable condition `for `use in `relatively small lplants.- i i `'rhoohhiotsof this invention in visio cludethehpro-`- n of "an incinerator* for eliminating or sub- `stantiallyv minimizing ythe above noted difiicultles by the use of "relatively simpleQdependable `and inexpensive apparatus; `Further objects, features and advantages will clearly appear from the `de tailed description `given below taken (in connec- 1` tion with the accompanying drawings forming Lio a part of` this specication `and illustrating `by way of example one formjof apparatus whichmay `be in carrying out the invention. The in--` ve'ntion consists in suchfnovel features', arrangements andmcombinations of `parts as may'be shownand "described in` connection "with the '-ap; paratusfherein disclosed. f

In the drawings, Figs. verticalV and horizontal sectional views showing a furnace construction embodying the invention in aprefer'redform; y `l Figuiis anenlarged vertical sectional view of the hearth portion and accompanying `parts of the furnace of Figs."1`and 2;

Figs.` 4 .and 5 respectively are horizontal sec- 1 and` 2 respectively are PATENToFF'lcE i l terasse o tion chamber as at i3, having agas outlet `i3 i and separated from the furnace chamber, except near the top of theffurnace,` as by a wall I4f forming afparto-if the cylindrioalgwall structure of the iurnace."1'iie middle'POltion of the bottom of thefurnace may beoccuoied by a substantially circularkfixed `central hearth area `l5 asshown, surroundedby an annularV grate area i6, I

formed if ldesired of removable sections as shown. `'ihefurnace wall I i may be providedfwith several doors as at i1, through which access mayfbe had whendesirledv to the grate areas. Access may be" had to the ash` pit spacesbeneathlthe grate as throughdoo'rsfas at I8; i' The material to be incinerated may be introduced through .thebpeningl from timeto time in such quantities las ,to maintain "afpileg thereof` as at I9 1coveringthe centraliheartl'ifareajwithl the peripheral and dried `or" partially dried portions of the pile extending butover thebnnular grateareas upon whichareas the material is ,burnedl fA "rotatable and "generally oonically shaped hollow memberlil .maybe mounted at thecenterof thehe affixed` thereto androtatable therewithtwo or more generally tangentially extending arms as at 2i, "22 of `such shape and` character as togradl` ually` advance` the material from the central orth athis member hovms hearth areasonto the grateareas, whil`ef"at"the f vsame timefperiodically agitating" the' material in` the pile @i9 and introducing supplies of air there-` v to in a manner hereinafterv described. i A' 'rho monitor zu maybe formed with o hollow` `rotatable stem'imountedat thebase of the fur-` nace on a suitable bearing as at" 24 and arranged to be constantly rotated asibygearing 25.` "Arcon-` duit 2B' isconnected with a suitable sourcepf supply of air under some pressure, preferably heated air. `This conduitmay communicatewith a Vhollow member 21` enclosing suitable `bearings for the member i'andfalso` enclosing a space from which supplies oi' the air may be intro` duced through suitable openings as at 28' into the member 23. From the member 23 the air thus supplied travels up into the hollow conical member 20 and thence out into the pile of waste material through numerous apertures as at 29 formed in the surface of the member 20. Also as shown, the arms 2|, 22 may be made hollow and in communication with the space within the member 20 whereby other portions of the air supply may pass out through aperturesl 30 formed along the rear surfaces of the arms 2|, 22.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the apertures 29 may be uniformly distributed at least overthe` upper surface areas o-f the conical member 20 and preferably each of these apertures is directed outwardly, and rearwardly as compared with the direction of rotation of the member' 20, whereby the waste material will readily slide by these apertures without tending to enter and block the same against passage of air.

The memberj20 may be formed with fiat surgitudinally extending bolt as at 34 having threaded engagement with the area 3| and acting as a pivot axis about which the position` of the army may'be adjusted and secured in desired positions as by bolts 35 engaging'slot 3B. With, this arrangement the inclination of the forward suri face of each armas at 31 in respect to thehearth maybe adjusted to suit varying operating conditions and at suchv an angle `as to suitably agitate and advance the particular type oi'. waste material being treated. It will `be observed that such adjustments will vary lthe extent to which the rear portions of .each arm protrude up into the pile of waste material and thereby vary the extent to which the waste materialis agitated on each rotation of thel arm. As thearms 2|, 22 advance through the waste material, portions thereof ridev up upon the inclined surfacesv 31 and then drop off.. the rear edges of the arms, falling back onto the hearth through the streams of air introduced through apertures 30.

4'Ihus as the arms periodically engage each section ofthe pile of waste material, the material is agitatedvertically somewhat and allowed rto fall through streams of heated air to insure a rapid and uniform dryingl action. At the same time the member 20 is continuously rotating within the middle and deepest portion of the pile of waste material and constantly discharging heated air into all portions thereof through the openings 29 for effecting aA preliminary drying. As above indicated, the arms 2I, 22 may extend outwardly along axes which are generally tan'- gential in lrespect to portionsof the conical member 201. e. the inner ends of the longitudinal axes ofthese armsare spaced substantially from the vertical axis of the member-20. In such positions' the arms upon each revolution will serve to advance portions of the waste material outwardly somewhat, on the hearth area I5 and to anextent such as to gradually feed lrelatively small portions of the drier material. andas fast as it is dried sumciently, ontor the annular grate area I3. Y

It will be apparent that the above described arrangement will not only avoid or largely dispense with the necessity for hand-staking, but also insure uniform drying and gradual advance of the dried material onto the grate areas at a sufficient rate to insure rapid and uniform burning in a manner much more satisfactory than would be achieved with laborious and careful manual stoking The assembly of the conical member 20 and its arms is such that it will be in general, uniformly covered by the pile of material I9, and the member 20 is of such shape as to properly and uniformly distribute drying air to the deepest portions of the pile and to cause such portions interiorly of the pile to slide downwardly and outwardly into the path of the arms as the material becomes more dried and as y the arms advance the driest material onto the grate.

The rotating assembly comprised in the coni-- cal member 20 and the arms 2|, 22, as is apparent from the drawings, may be of an exceedingly durable construction free of irregularly protruding parts and therefore avoiding any possibility that the rotating parts would become entangled in fthe irregular waste material.

The alternative form of structure shown in Figs. 7-9 inclusive, may be constructed and operated in accordance with the same general principles as the construction above described, and corresponding parts are identified by the same reference numerals accompanied by prime marks. However, in Figs. 7-9 the conical portion 29 may be constructed as a part separate from a cylindrical base portion therefor as at 40, the portions 20 and 40 having a suitable-flanged engagement as at 4IA along the annular line of juncture of these two parts. The member 49 may have at its base an inwardly extending annular flange 42 suitably secured to a flange 43 at the upper interior portion of member,V 23' The upper outer edge of the member 23' may be formed with an annular portion 44 extending up above the surface of hearth I5 and into an annular cavity 45 formed in the member 40. 'I'he lower rimof the member 40 may have an overhanging portion as at 46. The constructionv of the parts 44, 45, 46 is thus such as to prevent the waste material from entering the regions of the bearings within the member 23'.

'I'he construction of the members 20', 40 and 23 as separate parts, facilitates manufacture of the castings and also enables ready repair or replacement of any of. these parts which may become worn or broken without the necessity oi' replacing or renewing the others.

As shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the cross-sectional outline of the arms 2|', 22' may be such that the arms are formed with upwardly diverging upper and lower surfaces connected at the rear portion of the arms by a portionv of smooth arcuate cross section as at 41, 48, with the radius of the arc decreasing gradually at the outer portions of the arms. In this embodiment the air discharge apertures 30' in the arms may -be located in theunder surfaces of the arms and thus at points where there will be no danger of the wastematerial falling into these openings and causing stoppage thereof.

In Figs. 7-9 the bolts 35', instead of engaging a slot as in Fig. 6, may be provided with notched cleat-like washer members as at 49 (Fig. 8) for engaging an arcuate flange 36' formed on the periphery of the sector-shaped flange portion 33. As shownthe flange portion 36' and the members 2,232,551; 4! may have a hook-like clampingengagement.

` whereby when the bolts 3i are loosened, the angular positions of the arms on their longitudinal axes may be readily adjusted and when the bolts `30,35' are tightened, the arms will be firmly tail with respect to a particular preferred ex.

ample, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention that various changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, and it is intendedtherefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modications.

what 1s claimed as new andf desired to be secured by Letters `Patent is: z

1. Incinerating apparatus comprising a fur` `nace chamber, the central door area of said `chamber comprising a substantially horizontal and circular stationary hearth, an annular grate surrounding said hearth asa generally horizontal i continuationthereof adjacent the side walls of the chamber,` aigenerally conical member up- `standing from the mid-portion ci said hearth and z having air discharge openings distributed over l `1` its surface, an opening into the upper part of said 35.

chamber forintroducing material to be burned to form a pile over said member, means beneath t said chamber for rotating said member, oneor more arms mounted on said member and extending generally tangentially therefrom, outwardly over said hearth for gradually advancing said material over saidhearth and onto said grate,

, said grate area.

and means for supplying air to the interior of said member, whereby the material is dried in such pile,'while being agitated by said arm or arms and gradually advanced while` drying, over said hearth, and onto said gratefor burning.

2. Apparatus for agitating and advancing waste material outwardly of a generally circular hearth, comprising an arm extending substani tially parallel to the hearth surface, means for supporting said arm and rotating sameabout a `.vertical axis spaced from `the inner end of the arm, the advancing edge of said arm having a cross-section forming an acute angle directed downwardly and forwardly, and means for adiustably securing said arm to its" support, the

latter means being constructed `and arranged to` permit turning the arm about a longitudinal axis to vary the angular position of the'advancing `surface of the arm in respect to the hearth.

3. Incinerating apparatus for drying' and burning waste material comprising a furnace cham- `ber, the central floor area of said chamber being substantially horizontal and comprisingna cir- ,cular stationary andsubstantiallyimperforate hearth, an annular grate area surroundingjsaid hearth, said hearth and grateareas respectively being constructediand arranged-,lor drying and then burning the waste. material, means for dis"l i charging air into a pile ol the material on said hearth, including an upstanding rotatable hollow member mounted at the central portion of said hearth and having air discharge openings in its surface, and means extending adjacent said hearth, `generally outwardly and non-radially `from `said member and rotatable therewith for advancing the lowermost and dried material of said pile gradually outwardly of said hearth onto CHARLES W. NrcHors. 

